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I am sure many of you have already seen this fantastic movie. Ann and I watched it last night on HBO. Oh my. I knew a lot about this story but had no clue how it would affect me. The heartbreaking images of racism, discrimination and bigotry in the 1960s were so troubling. Watching the impacts of the racist "separate but equal" ideology on beautiful Americans of color greatly moved me.

The movie is about three amazing African American women. It covers their groundbreaking work in the early days of NASA. The story is about faith, persistence, courage and character in the face of adversity and struggle.

Here are a few themes I loved about the movie:

Faith: I love the beautiful impact that faith had on these hidden figures;

Discrimination: these scenes were heartbreaking and deeply moving;

Patriotism: great images of African Americans cheering for the astronauts.

The story was not really about NASA but I really enjoyed reliving images from my youth when Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn risked their lives in space. I loved watching how the whole country came together.

The acting was superb. Taraji P Henson, in the lead role of Katherine Johnson, was superb in presenting a great image of beautiful genius. All three of the 'hidden figures' presented us with powerful images of grace.

Lastly, I hope that the story stays with me. I pray that it will continue to change me. That it will cause me to be thankful for the beautiful ways that people of color have overcome and become living testaments to Dr King's dream.

I greatly loved this movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★★★.

Catch my other mini-reviews by selecting the Movies link in the menu bar above.

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat,
The deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench,
The hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

1. Who are you named after? My uncle's first name is my middle name.
2. Last time you cried? I regularly teared up seeing victims in Houston.
3. Soda or Water? Water. I tend to refill sodas too much for my own good,
4. What's your pizza? Italian sausage and mushroom.
5. Do you still have your tonsils? Got them removed when I was about 5.
6. Would you bungee jump? Not no but hell no!
7. Did you go to college? Goofed around in community college and was drafted.
8. Untie your shoes when taking them off? Usually.
9. Roller coasters do you like them? No!
10. Favorite Ice cream? Pistachio.
11. Favorite things? Being with my wife Ann.
12. Shorts or Jeans? Shorts means the weather is warm!
13. What are you listening to right now? Instrumental Folk Radio on Sonos via Pandora.
14. Favorite Color? Blue.
15. Tattoos? I am too cheap for body art.
16. Color of hair? Blonde gave way to brown in '68 which gave way to gray in '90. #likehavinghair
17. Eye color? Blue.
18. Favorite thing to eat? Alaskan King Crab!
19. Scary or Happy endings? Neither. Thoughtful endings with a twist do it for me.
20. Android or iPhone? Android works so well with google fiber! And it is way cheaper.
21. Car? Our Toyota Sienna ramped van is great for getting Ann around town!
22. Favorite holiday? Easter marks the start of Spring, nice weather and new beginnings for me.
23. Beer or wine? Depends on the meal and my mood.
24. Night owl or mornings? Mornings. Yet I'm not as much of an early riser as I once was.
25. Fave day of the week? Mondays are good for retired guys like me. ツ

Caught this interesting movie about McDonald's mega-franchiser Ray Kroc, wonderfully played by Michael Keaton, on Netflix a few days ago. I was fascinated by the quazi-historical perspective offered in the narrative. A few thoughts about it:

The story is about the breakdown of relationships in business and in marriage.

Ray's journey took a turn when he felt rejected and unappreciated.

The McDonald brothers revolutionized the restaurant business.

Ray took franchising to a level never seen before. Other chains followed his lead.

Fast food franchising is all about real estate. Not sure that I ever understood that.

Great leaders know how to treat their employees. Others rely on contracts.

I really liked the movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★☆☆.

Catch my other mini-reviews by selecting the Movies link in the menu bar above.

Dick Gregory was an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, comedian, and actor. I remember watching him on TV. He passed away yesterday. Here are a few things that he said.

Love is man's natural endowment, but he doesn't know how to use it. He refuses to recognize the power of love because of his love of power

I'm not a comic. I'm a humorist.

It's cool to be healthy.

I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.

Hell hath no fury like a liberal scorned.

Fear and God do not occupy the same space.

Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.

The most difficult thing to get people to do is to accept the obvious.

Once I realized the value of making people laugh, I got very good at it. Fast.

To me, seeing a really great comedian is a bit like watching a musician or a poet.

Poor is a state of mind you never grow out of, but being broke is just a temporary condition.

When you have a good mother and no father, God kind of sits in. It's not enough, but it helps.

Please join me in asking God to comfort Mt Gregory's family and friends.

I found this movie to be a thoughtful examination of the grieving process and how people mourn in different ways. Howard, played by Will Smith, is a successful partner in an ad agency. His world is turned upside down and inside out when his young daughter dies. The movie is about how Howard processes his pain.

I loved how real and raw his reactions are. How he processes his pain by writing letters to death, time and love. And how these three visit Howard and dialog with him about what is going on in his life. Here is his beautiful discussion with love:

Howard: "I saw you every day in her eyes, and I heard you in her voice when she laughed, and I felt you inside of me when she called me "Daddy." And you betrayed me! You broke my heart."

Love: "No. I'm in all of it. I'm the darkness and the light, I'm the sunshine and the storm. Yes, you're right, I was there in her laugh, but I'm also here now in your pain. I'm the reason for everything. I am the only "why." Don't try and live without me, Howard. Please don't."

There are several twists and turns in the movie which really made it interesting.
I genuinely liked this inspiring movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★☆☆.

Catch my other mini-reviews by selecting the Movies link in the menu bar above.

The book version of this movie was all the rage a few years ago. I was never interested in reading it. Yet I did enjoy watching the movie version with our small group from church. Here are a few themes from it with my comments.

God is good: I loved the look on Papa's face when asked about wrath. The message came through clearly that God is good when things are bad.

God loves us: The message was clear that in great tragedy God is walking with us in it and not causing bad things to happen to us.

Universalism: I felt that there was an 'all dogs go to heaven' theme in the movie. Even so, I liked the subtle message that hurt people hurt people.

I thought that the story was a bit contrived and told mainly to communicate a message. The acting was okay but not great. Ending was a bit simplistic.

Overall, I liked the movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★☆☆☆.

Catch my other mini-reviews by selecting the Movies link in the menu bar above.

Heard this was a sad movie. I really did not want to watch it. So glad I did. It was not sad. It was a beautiful reflection of life after great loss. It showed a beautiful reality of family life in the aftermath of crisis. And how it takes so long to come to grips with tragedy.

Casey Affleck won a Golden Globe Award for his role. He deserved it. He carried the movie playing an uncle who becomes the sole guardian of his nephew after his brother's death. The tension between what he wanted to do and what he knew he should do was beautifully written and acted. Lucas Hedges and Michelle Williams were great in supporting roles.

I loved Manchester by the Sea and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★★★

Catch my other mini-reviews by selecting the Movies link in the menu bar above.

Here are a few one liners about the flicks I have (re)watched this Spring and Summer.

The Accountant★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ben Afflect does a great job playing a assassin mob bookkeeper with Aspergers.

Age of Adeline★★★★★★★★☆☆
Love the mystical characteristics of this tale of a woman who never ages.

The Big Sick★★★★★★★★★☆
Beautifully retold true story of love, arranged marriages, cross cultrural dating and a girl in a coma.

Casino★★★★★★★☆☆☆
I guess it was just too hard to live up the the hype. IMO, good but not great.

Deja Vu★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Fun SciFi flick starring Denzel about time travel and the ability to change the future from the past.

Grosse Pointe Blank★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Crazy tale of a contract killer who goes to his high school reunion.

Keeping Up with the Joneses★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Thoroughly enjoyable story about the spies who move into the cul-de-sac.

Lion★★★★★★★★☆☆
Heartwarming story about a boy who was lost at age 6 and found his way home 20+ years later

Masterminds★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Kooky and funny story based on the true life story of 4 dim-witted people who pulled off a $17m heist.

The Matrix Series★★★★★★★★☆☆
Had all three flicks recorded and binged through them. Fast forwarded through much of the last two. The rating is for the initial installment which is very good. I give the sequels 3-4 stars each.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Another movie that simply could not live up to all of the hype.

Snowden★★★★★★★★☆☆
Oliver Stone's examination of the life and patriotism of a guy who is called a traitor by some.

Spectre★★★★★★★★☆☆
A pretty good Bond flick about the criminal agency created in the Ian Fleming books.

Solaris★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I like SciFi flicks but this is not one of George Clooney's better efforts.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan★★★★★★★★☆☆
I love this campy Star Trek movie and could almost watch it every day. ツ

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Not one of the better trekker flicks but a nice way to kill an afternoon.

Star Trek IV: The Journey Home★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
What can I say. This retired guy was on a Kirk Spock binge. :)

One of the joys of blogging is the virtual relationships I have made over the years. One such friendship is with Mike Erich - the Mad Theologian. I have had so many wonderful conversations with Mike over the years about the bible and our shared faith.

Mike passed away on Wednesday. He was 61 and a resident of Utah. I am saddened by his passing. Many of us prayed for his healing from cancer. Here are a few things that I think of when I remember Mike, the Mad Theologian:

He loved to discuss the scriptures even when we disagreed.

In our disagreements, he always afforded more grace to me than I to him.

He really helped me to understand a different way to look at the bible.

I have begun a new series of devotions on the Book of Hebrews at With Devotion, my faith blog. Each day I purpose to briefly share a bit from my heart on this letter to Jewish believers. Please join me there when you can at withdevotion.kcbob.com.

about bob

I am married, have two grown children and two grandchildren. I have worked as a soldier, software designer, technician, and a pastor. I am now retired. I write here to share my intuitions on life, faith, trivia, politics, entertainment and other stuff. Check out the menu bar above for more info and click on these to follow my internet comings and goings.